Arsenal could hijack Chelsea’s potential swap deal for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer after Paris Saint-Germain pulled out, according to reports.
The Gunners have made two signings this summer with arrival of David Raya – who spent last season on loan at the Emirates Stadium – from Brentford for £27m and Riccardo Calafiori joining from Bologna in a deal worth around £42m.
Arsenal are still hoping to bring in a new striker this summer with Eddie Nketiah looking likely to move to Marseille despite the Gunners rejecting the French side’s latest offer.
David Ornstein confirmed earlier this week that Chelsea and Napoli were locked in discussions about a deal for Romelu Lukaku, while they were also talking about the potential for Osimhen to go in the other direction.
And now Football Insider claim that Arsenal ‘could hijack Chelsea’s plans to sign Victor Osimhen in a blockbuster deal’ with Mikel Arteta still ‘looking to sign a number nine this summer’.
The report adds:
‘The Gunners have been interested in the Napoli striker for some time, but signing him won’t come cheap.
‘However, the Gunners could now hijack that transfer by pushing to sign Osimhen themselves.
‘A striker is seen as the last piece of the jigsaw for Arsenal, as Arteta looks to bridge the gap between them and Man City next season in the Premier League.’
Another position Arteta is trying to fill is in central midfield with the Gunners linked to a number of different players and now there is a suggestion they could try and do a deal for Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes before the end of the month.
The Brazilian is thought to have a release clause in his contract set at around £100m but there have been rumours that Newcastle would consider a sale at over £80m.
And now TeamNewsAndTix has suggested that Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale – who is valued at about £30m – could be offered as part of a deal for Guimaraes.
He said on his podcast: “The clubs aren’t really clear on it but they just feel that Newcastle aren’t out of the woods in terms of finances, that’s what I was told.
“So, I was initially told that by someone at Arsenal and, if they’re not, we could be looking at a deal with them for Bruno and Ramsdale going the other way.”
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Mikel Merino has been the most heavily linked midfielder in recent weeks and journalist Charles Watts – who has covered Arsenal for years – reckons the Gunners will now ramp up their interest in the Spaniard now a deal for Calafiori is completed.
Watts wrote in his Caught Offside column: “I’m fully expecting Arsenal to step up their attempts to bolster their midfield now their move for Riccardo Calafiori has been confirmed.
“We know that Mikel Merino is a player they like. The club had identified him as a target before the Euros and his brief performances for Spain in Germany only confirmed that he is a player who could make an impact in the Premier League.
“There is believed to be rival interest in Merino from clubs in Spain, as he is expected to be available at a good price due to his contract status at Real Sociedad.
“But I do think Arsenal will step up their interest in the 28-year-old having finally secured the signature of Calafiori.
“There have been links to other midfielders. I’ve seen Fabian Ruiz mentioned recently. That’s not one I’ve heard anything on myself yet, but he is a fine player of course.
“I still think Merino is the main target though and he would be a fine addition. He would add versatility, which is so important to any signing who comes in under Mikel Arteta.
“Physically, he looks well suited to the Premier League and along with Calafiori, looks like he could really bolster Arsenal’s left-sided options for the new season.”